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Dr. Patten (the Medical Officer of Health of Haling) was very
enthusiastic about the new sewerage schemes, "whereas a few
years ago complaints regarding sewer emanations were of almost
daily occurrence" now the nuisance has been much relieved by
the provision of special apparatus to consume the sewer gas and
by free and systematic flushing of the main lines of sewers.
By 1901 the picture had further changed—Ealing was now
a flourishing township of 33,040. Building was proceeding apace—
383 houses were built during the year and another 524 plans had
been passed. The main street had been paved with wood blocks
and the trams had arrived. "If only the serious noise occasioned
by them could be modified, there is little but good to be said of
them."
TJie sanitary facilities were good and were being expanded
rapidly with the growth of the newly formed borough.
The horse was still the main means of transport. " With
sufficient watering (of the roads) during dry weather, there need
be little complaint of the dust nuisance which was such an annoyance
and source of danger to health of the occupiers of houses."
Diarrhoea was a highly fatal complaint of infants—9 died in
that year. It is now certain that dust and flies contaminating
the open jugs of milk caused many of these infant deaths.
The "new" antitoxin treatment of diphtheria had just been
introduced; 6 had died of the 43 cases of diphtheria notified during
the year.
It is generally agreed that the infantile mortality, i.e., deaths
of children under 1 year, gives a very good indication of the health
of a community. In 1901, this was 114.4 per thousand, and while
the Medical Officer of Health was far from satisfied, yet he had
some cause to be proud, by comparison with the rate for England
and Wales, which was then 151.
1903-7 was the period when the borough was expanding at a
"phenomenal pace"—due to its contiguity to London and " second
to no place as regards communications, healthiness and picturesqueness."
On July 28th, 1905 a case of smallpox was reported and
by the middle of September there was a total of 41 patients in
hospital. All recovered but several unvaccinated children had
narrow escapes. At this date Dr. Patten was greatly concerned
because one-fifth of the population had not been vaccinated.
During the same year there was a serious outbreak of typhoid
fever, when two persons died out of 13 affected. Several others
known to have caught the disease moved out of the Borough
during the incubation period. This outbreak was traced to the